DeRosa Images

The beauty, resilience and evolution of the urban landscape

From time to time I have posted an image or two from my project “Industrial Strength”. For those who want to see more. Go to the link below for a look at 10 of my more recent images. The following Artist’s Statement describes the project.

Artist’s Statement for “Industrial Strength”
As consumers we have strong and conflicting feelings about Industry. We want, need and perhaps even love the products Industry creates. The companies provide much needed jobs and tax revenue. Yet we feel that the production facilities are ugly, smelly and dangerous. We put them far away from us in rural settings or isolate them in zones like “reservations”.

In large cities like New York, where I live, the Industrial and the residential are a bit too close for comfort and often collide. The ever-growing demand for residential space creates situations where the real estate that industrial facilities sit on can command higher prices for condominium conversions than the rent or lease prices paid by the companies that use them. This pressure is increased by two additional factors: the location of these industrial sites is typically close to the water for better access to shipping thus providing desirable river views; and artist communities seek the large, less expensive commercial and loft space for studios which tends to gentrify the area. Both these factors push the industry that we need and want further to the margins of the city it serves. New York has dealt with this by creating Industrialized Business Zones which are protected from other kinds of development to create some stability in location and prices.

I walk these zones before and around sunrise on Saturday mornings to explore them without the distraction of the many vehicles and people that fill the area during working hours. Walking here one can see the infrastructure that supports the city and the surprising beauty of the facilities and the machinery as well as the seamier side of production with its smoke and litter and industrial by-products. My project explores this beauty and ugliness as a metaphor for that love/hate relationship that we have with Industry and consumption.